Adjustable platen.



No. 709,339. Patented sept. 16, |992.

` D. M. LESTER.

ADJUSTABLE PLATEN.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1902.)

(no Modal.) 2 sheets-sheet u. l

www5 Kg Dfyjlgife Arm. 799,999.

u. Patented Sept. I6, |992. u.` M. LESTER, 9 ADJUSTABLE PLATEN.

(Applieation led Feb, 24, 1902.)

2 Smeets-Sheet 2.

{No.Model.)A

ATTORNEY" La l WITNVES'SES M UNITED STATES iATENT OFFTCE..

DANIEL M.A LESTER, OF NCRWICH, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE PLATEN.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,339, dated September 16, 1902. Application filed february 24, 1902. Serial No. 95.203. (No model.)

fo all whom, it may con/cern; Y

Be it known that'I, DANIEL M. LESTER, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Platj ens, of which `the following is a full, clear, and eXact description. y

This invention relates to the hinged platens Vor impact-plates of envelop-machines, my chief object being to provide a simple and reasonably cheap attachment for such platensthat maybe readilyadjusted to change and control the thickness of envelops folded thereon.

Briefly described, my said invention consists of a rim or strap surrounding the platen and forming an extension thereof andmeans consisting of an adjusting-screw, of peculiar construction, by means of which the said rim may be adjusted relatively to the inclosed platen.

In order that Vmy invention may be clearly understood, I. have provided the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isan end elevation of a platen embodying my improvements, showing also the adjacent portions of the table of an envelopmachine to which the said platen is hinged and the folding-throat over said platen. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. `3 is a plan ot' the under side of said platen and its adjusting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional viewtaken on line4-iF of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is asimilar View taken on vline 5 5 of said Fig. 3.

In the drawings, the reference-letter t indicates the table of an envelop-machine, and b the platen, the latter being Ahinged to the said table, as at b', in such manner that it V(the platen)'may be dropped tothe angle indicated by the dotted lines b3 in the said Fig. l, to deliver the `folded envelops into any suitable dry-ing mechanism located below the table (t. The platen b is rabbeted, as at b, and surrounding `the rabbeted portion is a loose rim c, that may be raised and lowered within certain limits-that is to say, it may be raised until its upper edge portion is liush with the upper face of the platen or it may be lowered to carry its said upper edge below the level of the platen. During the operation of folding an envelop in this class of 4on the opposite end or side.

c, which latter is, in fact, an extended portion` of the platen. If it is desired to fold the envelops down very thin and dat, the rim c is raised iiush with the main platen b; but if it is'desired to fold the edges of -the einvelops loosely, and thus leave them of considerable thickness, the rim cshould be lowered below the surface of the platen, the thickness of `the folded envelop being governed by the position of the rim c. It will thus be understood that the envelop may be folded to any variation of thickness within the liinits of the adjustment of the rim. In changing from thin to thick folds, and vice versa, it thus becomes necessary to adjust the rim c, and this occurs very frequently. Heretofore it has been most common to support the rim With respect to the platen by means of four independently-operated screws, all 0f which must be adjusted with great precision in order that the upperface of the rim shall be level. If otherwise, .the en velops will be folded thicker on one end or side, as the case may be, than In practice it has been found to be very di'fcult to reach this nicety of adjustment, the work of adjusting the several screws being the more difficult because of the fact that the said'screws are usually hidden from sight among a complication of other machine parts. My present invention reduces the operative adjusting mechanism to a single thumb-nut and also provides simple means for indicating| both to the sight and sound of the operator the degree of adjustment attained at any time.

Having thus described in general terms the nature and advantages of my invention, I will proceed to explain in detail the construction and operation of the same.

The rim c is,by preference, about one-fourth of an inch in thickness. The flange bl is bored through vertically near its cornersto receive bushings d, that are somewhat longer than the height of the said ilange.

The reference-letter edenotes a plate of spider form, having bosses e', that register with the vertical holes in which the bushings d are located, the said bosses being drilled to receive screwsf, that extend through the spider e andV through the said bushings and are screwed flrmlyinto the rim c. By reference to the drawings itwill be seen that the rim c is somewhat less in height than the rabbeted portion of the platen and that the bushings d are of such length that their opposite ends abut the rim cvand spider e, respectively.p Thus the screwsfwhen screwed borne bind the spider and rim together as if they1 were a single structure, and it will be obvious that if the spider is adjusted with respect to the platen Z9 the rim c Will be correspondingly moved upon the said platen, thus varying the upper face of the rim relatively to the upper face of the platen, the extent of suoli variation being limited to the space between the lower edge of the rim and the upper face of the flange o4, as seen in Fig. l of thedrawings. The spider e is formed witha central boss e2, that is threaded circumferentially and is bored centrally to receive a post g, that is screwed or otherwise tixedly secured to the platen b, the hole in the boss e2 being large enough to permit the spider and boss to slide freely on the said post. The post g extends downward-that is to say,`below the end of boss (a2-a distance at least equal to the space between the rim c and `flangeb4, above referred to, and is then somewhat reduced in diameter, as at g', the extreme end portionof the post being threaded to receive a nut h.

The letter i denotes a thumb-nut that is threaded to screw vu pon the boss c2, the hole in the lower end of said thu mb-n ut being adapted to it easily upon the reduced portion g of the post g, as is best seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings. With a construction as described it will be obvious that if the thumb-nut t be rotated it will cause the threaded boss of the spider c to travel within said thumb-nu t either downward or upward, according to the direction of rotation of the thumb-nut, thus causing the connected rirn c to move correspondingly upon the platen b. By preference the thumbnut is formed with two annular ilanges t2 3, the former of which is milled, and the latter is provided with a number of notches i4, that receive the free end of a spring k, whose other end is secured to the spider e. When the thumb-nut is partially rotated to change the elevation of the rim c relatively to the upper face of the platen, the spring 7c snaps from notch to notch with suflioient force to be both heard and felt by the machine attendant, and after the adjustment of the rim is completed the spring k then serves as a stop to prevent the accidental rotation or disarrangement of the thumb-nut.

On the inner face of the platen isa boss a2,

l and upon the confronting face of the spider contact with each otherjust as the upper face of the rim is flush with the upper face of the platen, and the said bosses then operate as a positive stop to insure the perfect registering of the faces of the rim and platen. With such a construction it is not necessary that the adjuster shall see the operative parts of the adjusting mechanism. It is only necessary that he shall be able to reach the thumbnut t and partially rotate it until the rim c is lowered or raised to the desired position, and such position may be accurately and quickly determined by noting the number of clicks made by the spring k as the latter snaps into the notches i4.

Heretofore it has been the com mon practice in envelop-factories to employ an expert adjuster whose specialduty is togo from machine to machine throughout the factory and adjust the rims c; but with the adoption of my present improvement such adjustment can be quickly performed by the machine attendant.

In attaching my adjusting device to envelop-machines as now most commonly constructed no expensive changes are necessary, and the cost of the said attachment is very small when compared with its marked advantages over the old methods.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In combination 'with the platen of an envelop-machine, and a rim mounted to slide thereon, a spider as set forth, means for rigidly connecting the said spider and rim, and means for adjusting the combined spider and rim relatively to the said platen.

2. In combination with aplaten and a rim mounted to slide thereon, aspider, and means consisting of bushings and screws, as herein set forth, for rigidly connecting the said spider and rim.

3.v In combination with a platen having flanged sides, a rim mounted to slide on said platen, a spider, and means for rigidly connecting the rim and spider consisting of bushings and screws as set forth; the said bushings being slidably mounted in holes in the [lange of the platen.

4. In combination, a platen, a rim slidably lnounted on said platen, a threaded boss, means for rigidly connecting said boss with the said rim, a thumb-nut screwed upon the said boss, and means for retaining the said thumb-nut in a givenrelation to the platen whereby the rotation of the thumb-nut will cause the boss and connected rim to be adjusted relatively to the platen.

Signed at Norwich, Connecticut, this 6th day of February,1902.

DANIEL M. LESTER.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. FOSTER, FRANK H. ALLEN.

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